The annual Great Lakes Section IFT Supplier’s Exhibit and Wine Dinner happens this year on Wednesday April 30, 2014. Click Here to learn more about the event.

You can find us in booth #29 right near the main entrance and registration area. Join us for the Wine Dinner afterward at Yarrow Golf & Conference Resort where we’ll experience great pairings of food and wine assembled by Great Lakes Wine & Spirits.

Freight rates are higher than many companies have ever seen. The combination of a greater truck demand and a tighter supply of trucks and drivers are giving concern to a number of industries not only over the cost of shipping, but the reliability of on-time delivery.

Much of the concern is over the declining interest in actually becoming a truck driver. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the average age of current drivers as 55, and it appears young career seekers don’t find the long stretches away from home as appealing as previous generations.

Obviously, trucking companies are working to attract quality drivers and looking into other shipping methods to make sure they continue to thrive, but in the short-term, you need confidence you’ll get your shipments on time.

Bremer’s Efforts to Mitigate the IssuesOf course, we can’t pretend to be totally immune to this issue. The entire industry is affected by it, and that includes us. However, we have and are taking steps to make sure any impact felt by our customers is minimal.

We’ve always employed our own drivers and fleet of trucks to manage distribution. This means, no matter how chaotic the trucking industry gets, if you order something we have on our floor, you’re going to get it on time, as always.

In an attempt to keep an ample supply of ingredients in our warehouse, we’ve expanded our own product sourcing, taking advantage of rail shipping in many cases while still being able to give you the best possible pricing.

The freight shortage is a difficult obstacle for many businesses. We will continue doing everything we can to keep this industry problem from affecting your business.